


Real Love, Baby!

by glitteraga



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, My First Work in This Fandom, characters and relationships will be added as they're introduced, i havent written fic since seventh grade dont expect too much from me, my middle school self's wish fulfillment fic basically, no beta we die like Glenn, the plot of a wattpad fic but written as well as i possibly can--which is not saying a lot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:14:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21882832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitteraga/pseuds/glitteraga
Summary: Bernadetta Varley, a quiet and neurotic English major, is reluctantly a freshman at University of Fodlan. She's convinced absolutely nothing good will come out of her college experience, but new friends with colorful personalities, a chaotic club engaged in a civil war, and a world-shattering administrative mistake may prove her wrong. Or, maybe not.Alternately titled "The Sylvadetta Fic"(it's on hiatus im sorry I STARTED CHAPTER 2 BUT I JUST...YEAH)
Relationships: Sylvain Jose Gautier & Bernadetta von Varley
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Real Love, Baby!

**Author's Note:**

> quick warnings for those who may be sensitive to this:
> 
> the narrator in this fic will frequently experience anxiety-laden thoughts as a result of parental domestic abuse. these thoughts will include abstract wishes for death as well as self-sabotage and agoraphobia.  
> these thoughts and issues are not the central focus of this fic, although they will be present and discussed by characters. 
> 
> stay safe, and happy reading! -lola

Autumn leaves crunch beneath my feet as I walk toward my final resting place, probably: university.

My name is Bernadetta Varley, and as of today I’m officially a freshman at University of Fódlan. I suppose one _could_ say things were official when my paperwork was signed, but up until last night I had no idea this was happening to me. At least I’m an English major; it seems my mother wanted me to at least have a shred of happiness in the hell I’m about to enter.

Kicking things off to a wonderful start, a soggy maple leaf smacks into my as I take my first step through the campus gates. I awkwardly stumble about trying to peel it off, my oversized backpack and rolled-up comforter swing about above my head like I’m a hermit crab who picked a shell that was too big. _Hermit crab._ That’s the perfect animal for me in this moment. My mother is crazy if she thinks I’m going to be anything other than a hermit at this school; she’s lucky I’m even considering going to classes tomorrow.

Leaf finally wrested from my face, I wipe off the grime and desperately look around to see if anybody noticed so I can decide whether to finally die from embarrassment today. Thankfully, everyone seems too caught up in their own business, swaths of teens and twenty-somethings bustling past me. With a sigh I pick up my suitcases and try to shrink away, much to no avail. The faded brick of Rhodos Hall comes into my vision as I round the corner. I take a deep breath in and try to lift myself up with the fact that I’ll have a full day to just play around in my room and settle in before classes start. With any luck, my roommate will be one of those girls who lives like twenty minutes from school, but her parents still make her get on-campus housing, and she’ll just be at home all the time.

I approach the door and it swings open, a gaggle of jockish boys pouring out. I brace myself and try to squeeze past them before the door closes. _That’s odd, I figured they would leave the doors ajar while people are still moving in._

I approach the lobby’s counter, where a blonde girl with long hair sits tacking away at a computer. A resident advisor maybe? I stand awkwardly at the counter, hoping she’ll notice me and initiate contact. However, she’s engrossed in her device, chewing at her lip. Great.

“U-um…” I squeak out. She’s still tied to her screen. “Excuse me?”

Her eyes quickly dart between her screen and me before it hits her that I’m asking her a question. “Oh! I’m so sorry! I get pretty zoned out when I’m doing homework. How can I help you?”

Working on summer homework this late? This girl reads like a try-hard teacher’s pet, but if she’s cramming everything the day before it’s due, she must be a world-class slacker. Is this really what the RAs here are like? Notwithstanding my rude internal monologue, I shuffle around nervously, avoiding the eye contact she’s now giving me.

“Y-yeah, um…I’m here to move in? Um, I don’t-If you’re not the person to speak to about that, I can-”

“You’re here to move in? Of course, let me help you with that!” She gets up and rummages around in a small office room behind her. She returns to me with a box of envelopes.

“Name?”

“Bernie—Uh, Bernadetta?”

“Last, please.”

“Oh! Varley.” I chuckle nervously. It’s concerning that she was so unprepared to move me in, considering she’s the one in charge-

“Ahhh, here we are! Bernadetta Varley, welcome to Rhodos Hall! We were wondering where you were yesterday!”

“You…you were?”

“Yes, we don’t have a lot of late move-ins, but we understand that travel can be pretty unpredictable. Now, in here is your key-fob, your room key, a physical copy of your class schedule, a campus map, your room contract-”

My heart drops and I feel the blood drain out of my face. “Um, late move-in?”

“Right. The last day for move-in was yesterday, because classes start today. Uh, are you-are you alright?” Her voice gradually becomes fuzz to me as I stare at a scuff on the wall, desperately trying to convince myself I’m in a dream. I pinch my thigh like my life depends on it, and much to my horror I feel both physical pains there and in my knees as all my stress immediately travels there.

Snapping myself out of my fugue, I quickly take my envelope and creak towards the elevator. ‘615’ is written upon the front of the envelope; I’m guessing my room number? I can see the blonde girl looking at me, her concerned face disappearing between the steel doors. She was saying something, important probably, but I couldn’t hear anything over my thrumming pulse. I yank out my schedule and try to match my classrooms with the buildings on the map. My first class is in ten minutes. _Only ten minutes?!_ I slap my cheeks and try to get my game face on. _No, I have a generous ten minutes to mosey my way to class! Easy peasy, Bernie!_ My mother said I should try to give myself positive self-talk, but positive self-talk only goes so far when your short little corndog legs carry you at just about 2 MPH.

I get to my room and drop my belongings in the middle of the floor, dumping the contents of my backpack out save for my laptop. I didn’t want my roommate to think me a slob, but it looks like I’ll just have to prove myself later. I look around to find some sign of her. A duffle bag and suitcase lay on top of one of the beds, but she’s gone as far as I can tell. Probably at class—which is where I should be! Swinging my backpack over my shoulders, I make a mad dash to try and save my attendance.

* * *

> _Dear, God. It’s me, Bernadetta._
> 
> _I’m dropping out. Sorry, and I love you._
> 
> _Signed, Bernadetta_

“Uhhh…hello? Um, if you’re not going to order anything, you need to get out of line.” A confused voice knocks me out of my mental letter-penning, and I look up to see a nonplussed bot with ashy hair and freckles wearing a green apron. Oh crap, I forgot I was in line at SubSonic!

“Sorry!!!” I squeak and hurry out of line. I’m too devastated to be hungry. My first two classes, Calculus and Psychology, were back to back. As such, I’m so mentally exhausted I feel like my brain is leaking out of my ears. Not from the subjects—Math and Science aren’t any more difficult for me than the average person. No, my misery stems from something else: the social interactions.

With any more evidence, I believe I could make a solid case that this school is trying to kill me. In my Psychology class, we had to get up and introduce ourselves _in the front of the room._ I did mine so quietly that I had to redo it thrice because _apparently_ people couldn’t hear me?! Not my problem!!! To top this lovely experience off, a group project has already been assigned to us…I don’t even have my group members emails.

I look forlornly out the window of the commons building (what is “commons” even supposed to mean?! I hate this school.) as rain began to drizzle down from the bleak sky. People pass by, each registering the impending inundation in their own way: a bespectacled student re-equips his backpack to his front and curls protectively around it, like a reverse turtle; an illustrious and attractive couple stride by holding hands, too in love to notice anything; and an imposing duo in professional clothing skulks along, picking up their pace yet maintaining what looks to be an important conversation.

And then there’s me. A pathetic, disheveled, nerdy girl who hasn’t even brushed her hair for the day. Desperately trying not to cry, I put my head in my hands as my anxiety pollutes my body like I got a shot of glowstick goo directly into my bloodstream. I feel compelled to put my hood up and just sit at this SubSonic counter until I perish, the greasy, saturated onion-smelling air mummifying me into the company’s new mascot, but my phone buzzes with a reminder I set for my next class. My next class…Oh! It’s English! _Maybe, if I’m really lucky, this class could be the thing to turn my day around?_

My mother always told me that my brain tells lies to itself in order to protect me, but I just consider myself a realist. Nevertheless, I step outside, taking deep breaths to try and calm myself down. I cross-reference my campus map and schedule as I navigate my way to class. _Maybe it is a lie…maybe this school isn’t trying to kill me. Everyone around me seems to be so happy, so eager to learn and progress to the future. If I could try and be like that…_

**_BAM!!!!!_ **

I’m knocked flat on my bottom into a puddle by an incredible force. My head spins as I fumble in the mud about like an overturned beetle.

“Sorry!!!” I hear a deep voice exclaim as an odd noise reverberates around the street. Is someone…scraping something on the ground? No, it’s a rolling sound—a suitcase? I glance in the direction of the voice, but only catching a glimpse of bright ginger hair and a body quickly gliding into the distance. Finally, my brain processes the horrible act that just happened: some stupid bro just ran into me on his skateboard!!!

Fuming, I try to stand only to slip and fall again in the muck. A nearby duck quacks at me inquisitively.

“I _know_ , right?!” I blink and realize I’m probably sitting in not just mud, but mud _and_ bird poop.

I crawl back onto the sidewalk and try to assess how filthy I am. My butt is completely drenched, my sneakers so dirty you can’t tell what color they are, and I’m fairly certain an ecosystem in now living in my hair. Part of me wants to cry, but I grab onto the other emotion bubbling within me: unadulterated rage. I slosh my way to class, determined to make it to class and find some miniscule redeeming factor of this awful day, and vowing to slaughter that boy should he ever dare to show his face to me ever again.

* * *

I finally make it to class just as the instructor steps up to the lectern. Dry mud flakes off me as I rigidly enter the room and plant myself in the nearest open seat. A hush falls around the room and I feel my classmates’ eyes upon me. Like I care! (I do, I am just very upset.)

Pulling my materials out of my backpack, practically having to wring out my notebook, I search for any faces from my other classes. My eyes land on my seat neighbor, a tall boy with his jaw wide open…eyes bugging out with abashment…and…red hair.

A whooshing sound manifests in my brain, and I know exactly what it is: it’s the one chance I had at having a good day speeding out the door.

“Um. Hi. I’m Sylvain. N-nice to meet you again?”

* * *

“Please, listen, I’m really, _really_ sorry!”

Class has concluded, and we’re all filing out the door. The ginger boy swims through the crowd, his towering figure standing out like an ocean piling. I, however, want to be a seagull and fly out of here as soon as possible. Unfortunately, my short legs betray me again, and he catches up to me in no time.

“Listen, I can explain…Actually, you probably don’t want to hear my excuses. What can I do for you? I’ll buy you dinner, I’ll buy you a drink, I’ll do your homework-actually, that would be a horrible idea-”

I spin around to face him. “I want you to LEAVE ME ALONE!”

He recoils, mouth parting for a moment before they purse together seriously. “Okay. If that’s what you want.”

I sigh and check my map, making sure I’m heading to the correct dormitory. As I walk forward, Sylvain walks in the same direction.

“Er, sorry. My building is this way.” He sheepishly stammers. His toned and tall body cranes over when he talks to me. If I didn’t hate him so much because of earlier, I would find him ungodly hot. Then again, I’d probably still hate him because him wearing a tank top and Chubbie shorts in September.

We walk along in silence through campus, and I’m waiting for him to finally leave my bubble. However, I make it all the way to Rhodos hall, Sylvain still with me.

“Oh, I guess we’re in the same building, uh…? Er, what’s your name?”

“Bernadetta.” I spit as I unlock the door, fumbling with my key-fob. He tries to hold the door open for me, but I just open the other one and stride towards the elevator. “What floor?”

“Six” Weird…I guess this dorm has co-ed halls? Sounds like a recipe for trouble. Perhaps boys are in one wing and girls another?

We reach the sixth floor and I head for the hall door to the left. Sylvain is following, looking nervously at his schedule. I unlock the door, not taking my eyes off him. Is he stalking me?!

I break into a half-jog as I go down the hall, eyes darting back and forth for my room number. I hear Sylvain’s continuous footsteps behind me, and I nearly sob.

At last, I reach the promised land, my precious room 615. Terror squeezing my heart faster and faster, I shakily unlock the door, praying that Sylvain keeps walking past me. The second I unlock the door I leap inside and curl up against the door, my hand jolting up to the knob and pressing the lock as quickly as possible.

Heaving a sigh of relief, I melt onto the floor. _Finally…safe and sound, and alone too! My roommate must still be in class, she hasn’t unpacked any of her stuff_ -

A knock reverberates around the room. Sylvain’s muffled voice leaks through the wood, “Um, Bernadetta?”

“Y-yes?”

“I have some horrible news,” he says, as I hear the inner workings of the doorknob move and click. The door slowly opens and Sylvain enters, key in hand. “I think you might be my roommate.”


End file.
